School of Filmmaking

Deborah LaVine, Dean

I. Overview of the Graduate Program

The School of Filmmaking offers a 2-year Master of Fine Arts degree in Filmmaking with concentrations in Creative
Producing, Film Music Composition, and Screenwriting. Our faculty consists of film and television artists-in-residence
as well as professional scholars committed to nurturing our students’ creative potential by exposing them to an
educational environment that mirrors the professional world’s collaborative process. The MFA program is supported
by the outstanding facilities currently in place for our BFA program, which is a comprehensive film production
curriculum. Our backlot studio with four sound stages, a music recording stage, a highly valued technical operations
department, as well as state of-the-art post-production facilities and equipment, are unparalleled in the state of North
Carolina.

Our MFA program in Film Music Composition offers a unique opportunity for the nascent film composer to work with
student filmmakers during production and post-production, while honing their musical and compositional creativity.
Film Music Composition students take courses in electronic technology, digital recording, mixing, and mastering;
orchestration; scoring for short films, video games, and new media; film music history, theory, and analysis; American
and international film history and aesthetics; as well as a capstone course that focuses on the business skills
necessary to transition effectively into the industry. Students score a variety of formats (commercials, live-action and
animated shorts, documentaries, and experimental works) of various lengths, ranging from 90-second main titles in
various genres to 15-minute student productions. The depth and intensity of the training, along with the curricular
diversity offered by a specialized faculty, prepare students to function successfully within the extremely competitive
world of film music composition.

Our MFA in Filmmaking also includes concentrations in Creative Producing and in Screenwriting, strategically
chosen due to the symbiotic relationship between these two professions. The Creative Producer is the person who
generates and/or cultivates a project from conception to completion with an eye towards the project’s commercial
viability. The Screenwriter and the Creative Producer spend the majority of their collaborative time in what is called
the development process: the period in advance of production during which the material is transformed from outline
to final draft. The Creative Producer and Screenwriter also work together to seek the appropriate platform (e.g., long
form motion picture, television series, or web series) as well as the market for the story.

We believe that the most successful filmmakers have command of entrepreneurial skills as well as storytelling
expertise. Therefore, our MFA concentrations in Creative Producing and Screenwriting offer in-depth training in
developing dynamic creative content for a slate of projects to write, finance, produce, and distribute across a variety
of media in our ever-changing technological age. Classes include script development, deal making, marketing,
financing, distribution, screenwriting, and film history and aesthetics.

II. Specific Admissions and Transfer Requirements

A. Minimum Requirements for Admission to the MFA in Filmmaking
• All applicants must have completed an undergraduate degree;

• Qualified applicants applying directly out of undergraduate school must show a GPA of 3.0 or better;

• Preferred applicants to the Film Music Composition concentration should have an undergraduate degree in music
or music composition;

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• Preferred primary applicants for the Creative Producing or Screenwriting concentrations should have a minimum
of 2 years of work experience.

B. Required Documents to Supplement Admissions Application

For Applicants to the Film Music Composition Concentration:

• Letter of intent;

• Transcripts;

• Two letters of recommendation;

• One letter from an arts or academic instructor;

• If applicant is not currently enrolled in school, recommendation may be from employer, mentor, or artists with
whom the applicant has worked.

• Portfolio of three to five original compositions, preferably demonstrating a proficiency in musical storytelling and
contrasting musical styles, to be submitted in the following formats: film clips with original score (mp4 preferred),
live or MIDI audio recordings (m4a preferred), and accompanying musical scores in pdf format.

For Applicants to the Creative Producing or Screenwriting Concentration:

• Letter of intent;

• Transcripts;

• Two letters of recommendation;

• One letter from an arts or academic instructor;

• If applicant is not currently enrolled in school, recommendation may be from employer, mentor, or artists with
whom applicant as worked;

• Two writing samples in pdf format: one of creative fiction (screenplay, theatrical script, or short story) and one
expository essay (of film analysis or film criticism)

C. Transfer Credit
Transfer credits will be considered on a case-by-case basis. The School of Filmmaking requires that a minimum of 36
graduate credit hours toward the MFA in Filmmaking must be earned at UNCSA. The MFA degree must be completed
within five years of the graduate student’s initial enrollment in the program.

III. Standards of Achievement, Evaluation and

Continuation
A. Minimum Grade Point Average
Graduate students in the MFA program must earn a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 (a B average) or higher each
semester. A student who earns a GPA of less than a 3.0 in any one semester will be placed on Probation for the
subsequent semester. If after one semester of Probation the student fails to meet or exceed the minimum GPA, they
may be dismissed from the program.

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Continuation from one academic year to the next in the School of Filmmaking is based on several factors in addition
to course grades. Among these are: evidence of growth in artistic and/or technical abilities as applicable, faculty
assessment of professional potential, professional demeanor, and creative discipline. Evidence of a student’s
inability to interact appropriately and productively within UNCSA and School of Filmmaking policies, procedures and
expectations will result in dismissal from the program.

B. MFA Thesis Requirement

As a terminal degree, the MFA requires a rigorous thesis. Each MFA concentration in the School of Filmmaking has
thesis requirements and guidelines specific to the student’s concentration. For further information, consult the Chair of
your department.

C. Time Limits for Completion

The MFA degree must be successfully completed within five years of the graduate student’s initial enrollment in the
program.

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